The last two companies build the computer here in the States, and so, that is appealing. They use Ubunto or Linux Mint, and I am unfamiliar with these and would love to hear viewpoints.

The Asus is great, and perfect for my needs EXCEPT only 2GB Ram. If I buy one with 4 GB ram, it goes up $400. Which is a lot. And it's a hybrid, although a very good one. I'm a small person, so I don't really have keyboard issues to contend with either.

The System 76 is a bit expensive for my needs and has a few things I don't need, but wouldn't hate or anything.